A True Happy Beginning
by VerelLupin
Summary: ***Spoilers for the movie. An AU ending. Maleficent decides to believe in True Love's Kiss one last time.


**Just saw Maleficent today and this is just what I think should have happened.  
**

**This way we'd have two villains and two heros and a full happily ever after.  
**

**Enjoy...**

* * *

The iron chain bit into her ankle but she fought to land them as safely as she could.

Deep down within her, below the ache of his betrayal, laid a bead of hope that their love had been as real as the kiss he'd given her.

They landed roughly and despite the metal burning her flesh she attempted to soften the blow but their combined weight was too much for her to slow down and he hit the wall of the parapet. She rolled and hit the stone as well but unlike him her wings had cushioned the impact while he had nothing but the cursed armor.

Maleficent rose carefully preparing for another battle but he just lay unmoving, likely still stunned. She inched towards him and he stared at her unable to do much more than raise his sword to protect himself from her wrath.

But her wrath did not come and no one was more surprised than she. She was tired of fighting him, tired of fighting in general. "It's over."

"It'll never be over," he snarled and with a last desperate strength he lounged for the chain she'd just freed herself from.

Maleficent dodged it and flew at him in a rage. They rolled around and her hands closed around his neck, angry that he would not let peace reign, that he would make her his adversary.

He pulled at them, his own hands the last barrier to her nails ripping into him.

She pressed her face close to his, her breath warm on his face as she squeezed his neck and his eyes grew wide. In that moment time stopped. His struggle ceased and her fingers relaxed around his throat.

She stared long and hard at King Stefan and King Stefan stared back at Queen Maleficent.

She saw beneath the bearded face and hatred filled gaze, it was still him, the young him.

The young boy who had returned what he had stolen simply because the young fairy had told him to, the boy who'd touched the girl's wings so tentatively lest he hurt them. She saw the young man who had kissed her and swore it was true love.

And yet she could see the man he'd become, the one who'd hurt her, who married another and had a child that wasn't hers. She saw the guilt of all he'd done to her, saw how it had turned to madness, a sickness that ate him up until he'd torn his own kingdom apart in a quest for revenge against himself.

"Enough," she whispered and this time she kissed him, one last chance for true love to deliver a miracle and save them both.

It was soft and delicate but firm; it was her young self and herself now. The love that was no longer shadowed by sorrow and anger at what he'd taken. A love that had been kept alive and gotten stronger through his lovely child, Aurora, a daughter that had taken what was left of her heart.

He didn't push her away but the chain dropped from his hand in surprise.

The darkness in his eyes lightened as the magic of her kiss drew out the self-loathing and sorrow he'd been carrying ever since he'd drawn his knife on her. The true hazel shinned brilliantly and years melted off him along with the dark greed that had driven him to use her secret as a weapon.

"I've heard your cries in my sleep. They tormented me all these years and now you've freed me from them. You saved my life again." He cupped her face to kiss her again but she drew back with a hiss of pain.

He looked at the red marks on her face and tore the gauntlets from his hands; "I am once more begging you." He raised them showing her that they were uncovered and reached for her face again, "can you forgive what I have done?"

She searched his eyes and pressed a kiss to his palm, "I already have."

It would take time for her to trust him again and he would be glad to spend the rest of his life proving he was a man worthy of it.

Years later the two kingdoms were finally joined in peace and Aurora finally had the parents she'd always wished for all those years ago, when her only companions had been a raven and a fairy godmother, their family was complete.


End file.
